Law, Reason, and the Cosmic City

Political Philosophy in the Early Stoa

Katja Maria Vogt

Provides a fresh new argument: that common law consists of rules, and that lawful action is what right reason prescribes

Law, Reason, and the Cosmic City

Political Philosophy in the Early Stoa

Katja Maria Vogt

Description

The notions of the cosmic city and the common law are central to early Stoic political thought. As Vogt shows, together they make up one complex theory. A city is a place governed by the law. Yet on the law pervading the cosmos can be considered a true law, and thus the cosmos is the only real city. A city is also a dwelling-place--in the case of the cosmos, the dwelling-place of all human beings. Further, a city demarcates who belongs together as fellow-citizens. The thought that we should view all other human beings as belonging to us constitutes the core of Stoic cosmopolitanism. All human beings are citizens of the cosmic city in the sense of living in the world. But the demanding task of acquiring wisdom allows a person to become a citizen in the strict sense: someone who lives according to the law, as the gods do. The sage is the only citizen, relative, friend and free person; via these notions, the Stoics explore the political dimensions of the Stoic idea of wisdom. Vogt argues against two widespread interpretations of the common law--that it consists of rules, and that lawful action is what right reason prescribes. While she rejects the rules-interpretation, she argues that the prescriptive reason-interpretation correctly captures key ideas of the Stoics' theory, but misses the substantive side of their conception of the law. The sage fully understands what is valuable for human beings, and this makes her actions lawful. The Stoics emphasize the revisionary nature of their theory; whatever course of action perfect deliberation commands, even if it be cutting off one's limb and eating it, we should act on its command, and not be held back by conventional judgments.

Law, Reason, and the Cosmic City

Political Philosophy in the Early Stoa

Katja Maria Vogt

Table of Contents

Introduction CHAPTER 1: THE DISTURBING THESES 1. The Disturbing Theses and the Reception of Early Stoic Political Philosophy2. The Lists of Disturbing Theses: Diogenes Laertius3. The Lists of Disturbing Theses: Sextus Empiricus4. The Stoic 'Art of Life'5. Variants of Sceptical Argument6. Stoic Revisionism7. Ways of Making Sense of the Disturbing ThesesCHAPTER 2: THE COMMUNITY OF ALL BEINGS 1. Four Theses on Citizenship2. 'Only the Sages are Citizens'3. All Human Beings4. Humans and Gods, and Sages and Gods5. Citizenship, Reason, and the Theory of OikeosisCHAPTER 3: SAGES AND GODS 1. Are Gods Sages?2. The Sage is 'Ignorant of Nothing'3. 'Only the Sage is X'4. Citizenship and Being a Relative5. The Citizen-Gods: Celestial Bodies and Portions of Pneuma6. Friendship7. Eros--God of Friendship and ConcordCHAPTER 4: LAW AND REASON 1. Human Beings have Reason2. Hormetic Impressions3. Well-Reasoned Action4. Appropriate Action, Law, and Nature5. Prescriptive Reason and Freedom6. Appropriate Action and Rules7. Appropriate Action and the Concerns of Others8. A Hierarchy of Values?9. Appropriate Action and Circumstances10. The Common LawBIBLIOGRAPHY

Law, Reason, and the Cosmic City

Political Philosophy in the Early Stoa

Katja Maria Vogt

Author Information

Katja Maria Vogt is Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University. She is the author of Belief and Truth.

Law, Reason, and the Cosmic City

Political Philosophy in the Early Stoa

Katja Maria Vogt

Reviews and Awards

"[The book] provides an innovative and convincing way in which to understand a great many difficult Stoic ideas in the areas of politics and ethics. It also makes a very good case for integrating the political ideas into the context of Stoic ethics more generally. And best of all, it makes Stoic political theory seem reasonable, at least in the context of Stoicism as a whole -- rather than simply crazy, as it has often looked before -- and also makes it understandable why they should want to present this theory as political."--Richard Bett, The Johns Hopkins University

"The author argues that the very scanty evidence about Zeno's Republic, if correctly understood, does not propose a framework for an actual city; rather it sets out what it would mean for someone to have wisdom (i.e. be virtuous, on the Stoic view): it would be to understand oneself as a citizen in the community of gods and men structured by the law constituted by perfect rationality. Her book thus aims to serve as a counterweight or alternative to Schofield's The Stoic Idea of the City."--Charles Brittain, Cornell University